Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Submandibular Salivary Gland With Late Metastases to Lung and Choroid: A Case Report and Literature Review

PurposeAdenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare type of cancer that can exist in many body sites. Distant metastasis (DM) is one of the most common features of ACC, usually occurring several years after the initial diagnosis. Approximately half the patients with ACC are found to develop DM after initial treatment of the primary tumor. This report describes a case of ACC with late metastasis to the lung and choroid, which is extremely rare.Materials and MethodsA 43-year-old female patient had a history of ACC of the submandibular salivary gland. Five years after total resection and postoperation radiotherapy, distant metastases were found in the left lung and left choroid by immunohistochemistry and imaging examinations.ResultsAfter radiotherapy of lesions of the lung and eye, the patient had a partial response and remained free of progression at almost 7 months.ConclusionAlthough many metastatic sites have been reported, currently, there are only 6 cases in the literature on ACC metastasizing to the choroid. For those patients with metastatic ACC, although modality treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are administered, most patients have continuous metastasis and have a fatal outcome.